| Boxcar Bertha | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Martin Scorsese |
| Screenplay by | Joyce H. Corrington John William Corrington |
| Produced by | Roger Corman |
| Starring | Barbara Hershey David Carradine Barry Primus Bernie Casey John Carradine |
| Cinematography | John Stephens |
| Edited by | Buzz Feitshans |
| Music by | Gib Guilbeau Thad Maxwell |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | American International Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $600,000 |
Boxcar Bertha is a 1972 American film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a loose adaptation of Sister of the Road, a pseudo-autobiographical account of the fictional character Bertha Thompson, written by Ben L. Reitman.[1] It was Scorsese's second feature film.
Plot
The film tells the story of Bertha Thompson (played by Barbara Hershey) and "Big" Bill Shelly (played by David Carradine), two train robbers and lovers who are caught up in the plight of railroad workers in the American South. When Bertha is implicated in the murder of a wealthy gambler, the pair become fugitives.
Cast
- Barbara Hershey as Boxcar Bertha
- David Carradine as Big Bill Shelly
- Barry Primus as Rake Brown
- Bernie Casey as Von Morton
- John Carradine as H. Buckram Sartoris
- Harry Northup as Harvey Hall
- Victor Argo as First McIver
Production
After the success of Bloody Mama, Roger Corman wanted to make another female gangster film. Julie Corman researched female gangsters and came across the story of Boxcar Bertha. Martin Scorsese was hired to direct on the strength of his first feature. He was given the lead actors, including Barbara Hershey, David Carradine, and Barry Primus, and a shooting schedule of 24 days in Arkansas.[2] The Reader Railroad was used for the train scenes.
Scorsese makes a cameo in the film as one of Bertha's clients during the brothel montage.[3]
Hershey later called the film "a lot of fun even though it's terribly crippled by Roger Corman and the violence and sex. But between the actors and Marty Scorcese the director, we had a lot of fun. We really had characters down but one tends to not see all that, because you end up seeing all the blood and sex."[4]
Reception
Boxcar Bertha received mixed reviews from critics. It holds a rating of 48% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 21 reviews.
See also
References
- ^ Thompson, Howard (August 18, 1972). "The Screen: 'Boxcar Bertha' Tops Local Double Bill". The New York Times.
- ^ Chris Nashawaty, Crab Monsters, Teenage Cavemen and Candy Stripe Nurses - Roger Corman: King of the B Movie, Abrams, 2013 p 120
- ^ Gary A. Smith, The American International Pictures Video Guide, McFarland 2009 p 33
- ^ "THEATRE". Tharunka. Vol. 27, , no. 13. New South Wales, Australia. 12 October 1981. p. 28. Retrieved 27 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
((cite news)): CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
External links
- Boxcar Bertha at IMDb
- Boxcar Bertha at AllMovie
- Boxcar Bertha at the TCM Movie Database
- Boxcar Bertha at Rotten Tomatoes